Effects of GABA antagonists, SR 95531 and bicuculline, on GABAA receptor-regulated chloride flux in rat cortical synaptoneurosomes

Synaptoneurosomes isolated from cerebral cortices of male Sprague-Dawley rats were used for studying GABAA receptor-regulated chloride influx. The in vitro effects of GABA antagonists, SR 95531 (a pyridazinyl GABA derivative) and bicuculline, on pentobarbital-stimulated, muscimol-stimulated or flunitrazepam-enhanced, muscimol-stimulated chloride uptake were studied. The chloride uptake was determined at 30 degrees C, for 5 sec. Pentobarbital and muscimol produced a maximal stimulation of chloride uptake in cortical synaptoneurosomes at 500 microM and 50 microMs, respectively. SR 95531 as well as bicuculline had no effect on the basal uptake of chloride. Whereas, SR 95531 (0.3 - 30 microM) and bicuculline (0.1 - 100 microM), when added 5 min before muscimol (50 microM), produced a significant concentration-dependent inhibition of muscimol (50 microM)-stimulated chloride uptake (IC50S of 0.89 +/- 0.11 microM and 13.45 +/- 2.10 microM, respectively). In studies of the inhibitory effects of SR 95531 and bicuculline on pentobarbital (500 microM)-stimulated chloride uptake, the IC50S were 0.81 +/- 0.12 microM and 3.86 +/- 1.14 microM, respectively. SR 95531 exhibited a more potent inhibitory effect than bicuculline on flunitrazepam-enhanced, muscimol-stimulated chloride uptake. The results revealed that SR 95531 has a more potent antagonistic effect than bicuculline on GABAA-regulated chloride flux.

Effect of axial loading on neural foramina and nerve roots in the lumbar spine

The hypothesis that the neural foramina in some patients are critically narrowed by axial compression of the spine has not been studied with direct imaging techniques. Frozen cadaveric motion segments of the lumbar spine (intervertebral disk and contiguous vertebrae) were imaged with computed tomography (CT). The segments were thawed and compressed in a hydrostatic press to simulate axial loading, and then the segments were frozen and imaged again. The motion segments were subsequently sectioned with a cryomicrotome, and the chronic degenerative changes present in the disks were classified. Pre- and post-compression CT images were compared, and anatomic relationships were studied. In 41 randomly selected segments (some with preexisting radial, transverse, and concentric annular tears), compression diminished the diameters and cross-sectional areas of the spinal canal and neural foramina. In no cases were nerve roots displaced, distorted, or compressed by axial loading. This study suggests that axial loading, such as that produced by ordinary weight bearing, does not critically compromise the neural foramina even in the presence of chronic degenerative disk changes.

[History and prospects of application of traditional Chinese drug beimu]

This paper deals with the history of the traditional Chinese drug Beimu and the emergence of Chuan Beimu and Zhe Beimu. The prospects of these drugs are also discussed in the light of their actual application in China.

Tyramine-O-sulfate, in addition to tyrosine-O-sulfate, is produced and secreted by HepG2 human hepatoma cells, but not by 3Y1 rat embryo fibroblasts

The spent media of HepG2 human hepatoma cells and 3Y1 rat embryo fibroblasts labeled with [35S]sulfate, upon ultrafiltration, were analyzed by a two-dimensional thin-layer separation procedure. Autoradiographs of the cellulose thin-layer plate revealed the presence of tyramine-O-[35S]sulfate in addition to tyrosine-O-[35S]sulfate in spent medium from human hepatoma cells. In contrast, only tyrosine-O-[35S]sulfate was observed in spent medium of 3Y1 rat fibroblasts. Using adenosine, 3'-phosphate, 5'-phospho[35S]sulfate as the sulfate donor, sulfotransferase(s) present in HepG2 cell homogenate catalyzed the sulfation of tyramine to tyramine-O-[35S]sulfate, but not the sulfation of tyrosine to tyrosine-O-[35S]sulfate. Endogenous aromatic amino acid decarboxylase present in HepG2 homogenate was shown to catalyze the decarboxylation of [3H]tyrosine to form [3H]tyramine while attempts to use it for the decarboxylation of tyrosine-O-sulfate to form tyramine-O-sulfate were unsuccessful. These results suggest that tyramine-O-sulfate may be derived from the de novo sulfation of tyramine, instead of the decarboxylation of tyrosine-O-sulfate.

[A primary study on molecular epidemiology of diarrhea caused by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli by DNA colony hybridization using three enterotoxigenic gene-probes]

921 isolates of acute-diarrhea-inducing E. Coli strains from several provinces and cities, including Guangzhou, Wuhan, Sichuan, Shenyang and Hunan, have been collected during 1984-1989 and were identified in 1989 for detecting genes coding for these enterotoxins-LT, ST-P, ST-H by DNA colony hybridization using three enterotoxigenic gene probes. Of all the isolates homologous to these genes encoding LT, ST-P, ST-H and both LT and ST were 198 (21.5%), 131 (14.2%), 54 (5.9%) and 18 (2.1%), respectively. It was showed that in our country pathogenic agents of acute infectious diarrheal disease with ETEC strains first might be ETEC-LT strains, secondary ETEC-ST-H strains. Whereas, in rural districts ETEC-ST-P possess higher proportion of ETEC strains. These results provided some essential data and advanced methods for researching further molecular epidemiology of the ETEC diarrheal disease.

Effects of acute barbiturate administration, tolerance and dependence on brain GABA system: comparison to alcohol and benzodiazepines

Central nervous system depressants, e.g., barbiturates, alcohol and benzodiazepines, have a wide spectrum of activity in humans and animals. Evidence accumulated suggests that some of the pharmacological actions exerted by these agents may be mediated through GABA system by mimicking GABAergic transmission. This review attempts to summarize the evidence available as to how the GABA system plays a part in the barbiturate actions and the development of tolerance to and physical dependence on barbiturates. The comparisons of the effects of alcohol, barbiturates and benzodiazepines at different steps of GABA synapse are also presented. Furthermore, the results which have been reported in the literature are inconsistent. This may be due to differences in: (a) animal models used; (b) brain regions used; (c) protocols (dose, duration, form and route of administration, etc.) used in treating animals and/or (d) techniques (pharmacological, biochemical, physiological, etc.) used.

Augmentation of cell-mediated cytotoxicity following 50% partial hepatectomy

The cytolytic responses of C3H/HeJ mice after 50% hepatectomy (PH) were assessed in a 4-hr 51Cr-release assay. Spleen cells (SC) (50 x 10(6] from normal or PH C3H/HeJ (H-2k) mice were sensitized with equal numbers of irradiated allogeneic DBA/2 (H-2d) spleen cells in a five-day mixed lymphocyte culture. Generated cytolytic activity was measured against 51Cr-labeled P815 mastocytoma (H-2d) and EL4 lymphoma (H-2b) target cells. The wet weight and cell numbers per spleen following 50% partial hepatectomy were 70% and 75% higher than the control values for the first 20 days, and then returned to normal levels by 21 days. The cytolysis by spleen cells from 2-, 14-, and 31-day PH mice were 89.3 +/- 0.7, 86.9 +/- 5.3, and 90.1 +/- 1.3%, respectively, compared with control (sham-operated) values of 56.0 +/- 1.0, 57.0 +/- 2.0, and 49.9 +/- 7.0% (P less than 0.03 at E/T 100:1). This enhanced cytolysis by PH spleen cells remained high for at least 118 days after the liver resection before returning to control levels by 268 days. Cytolytic effector cells in PH SC were generated at least 24 hr earlier than in control SC. When normal and PH cytolysis were compared following primary and secondary in vitro sensitization, the cytolytic levels of primarily-sensitized PH spleen cells were comparable to secondarily sensitized normal spleen cells. Furthermore, the primarily sensitized normal spleen cells did not show crossreactive cytolysis with EL4 target cells (H-2b), while both the primarily sensitized PH spleen cells and the secondarily sensitized normal spleen cells were significantly cross-reactive against the third party EL4 target cells. Adherent PH spleen cells appear to be responsible for this augmented cytolytic capacity since their coculture with normal nonadherent responder spleen cells increased control cytolysis by approximately 30%. These studied demonstrate that, following 50% partial hepatectomy, there is an immediate and sustained increase in the allospecific cytolytic response.

Reversible changes in tumor growth and metastatic behavior induced by immune pressure

Prolonged exposure to host immunity was studied for its effect on several characteristics of a cloned 3-methylcholanthrene-induced fibrosarcoma. One million cells of a clone 10-O were injected subcutaneously into normal C3H/HeJ mice (clone 10-N) or tumor-immune mice (clone 10-I). After 10 passages in immune mice, 1 X 10(6) cells from 10-I tumor were transferred back into normal mice (clone 10-R). After 5 to 10 additional in vivo passages, clone 10-O, 10-N, 10-I, and 10-R tumors were transplanted into normal mice and observed for tumor growth rate, tumorigenicity, antigen specificity, metastatic potential, and plating efficiency. Clone 10-I after 10 passages in immunized mice grew significantly more slowly than did 10-O or 10-N clones, required more tumor cells to cause 50% tumor incidence in normal mice (tumorigenicity), and completely lost its capacity to metastasize spontaneously or experimentally. The plating efficiency in vitro of 10-I was also less than that of 10-O or 10-N. All these changes reversed after 5 to 10 passages of 10-I clone back into normal mice (10-R). Although immune pressure induced qualitative antigenic changes, as demonstrated by a tumor-rejection assay, and resulted in no cross-reactivity with control tumor clones (antigen specificity), the degree of immune response to its autologous clone in immune mice (immunogenicity) remained constant. These results suggest that several unrelated characteristics of this clone 10 can be phenotypically changed during the same period by immune pressure.

Choice of lasers for laser angioplasty

Thrombi in test-tube, intraarterial thrombi and pig aorta wall were in vitro irradiated with continuous CO2 laser, short pulsal and ultrashort pulsal YAG laser (with pulse-width of 10 ns and 40 ps, respectively) and their double frequency laser and excimer laser with a wave-length of 308 nm and pulse-width of 20 ns. Their effect of vaporizing and ablating (photodecomposing) thrombi and their thermal injuring effect on adjacent tissues were compared and assessed in order to select optimal laser with little thermal injuring and more rapid vaporizing or ablating thrombi effect for laser angioplasty. The experimental results showed that excimer laser, ultrashort pulsal YAG laser and its double frequency laser, and double frequency laser of short pulsal YAG laser, with laser beam and blood vessel kept in a coaxial position, can effectively vaporize or ablate thrombi without thermal injury to vessel wall. So they may be used for laser angioplasty. Of them, especially, excimer laser and double frequency laser of ultrashort pulsal YAG laser have short wave-length and high peak power, and more effectively ablate thrombi than others, so they proved to be optimal lasers for laser angioplasty.

Incidence of unfused ossicles in the lumbar facet joints: CT, MR, and cryomicrotomy study

The incidence of unfused ossicles in the lumbar spine, in radiographic studies, is 0.7-1.5%. With a sledge cryomicrotome, we sectioned 273 lumbar facet joints in 38 adult cadavers and correlated the anatomic appearance of the joints with CT and magnetic resonance (MR) images. Ossicles were present in 13% of the cadavers and 2.6% of the facet joints and were demonstrated effectively by MR. The incidence of ossicles, which can be confused with fractures, in the facet joints is higher than previously reported.

[An experimental study of excimer laser angioplasty in vitro]

Intratube thrombus and in vitro intraarterial thrombus and isolated normal pig aortic wall were radiated by excimer laser with wavelength of 308 nm and pulse width of 20 ns. The single pulse energy and the numbers of pulses were varied at the constant beam size and pulse frequency and the results were studied by micrometer measurement and histological examination. The results show: (1) excimer laser can effectively ablate thrombus. With constant total energy (at the range from 10 to 50 J), the depth of vaporized thrombus was nonlinearly proportional to the single pulse energy. But with constant single pulse energy (at the range from 10-100m J), the depth of vaporized thrombus was in linear proportion to the numbers of pulses; (2) if coaxial position of laser beam with blood vessel was maintained, thrombus can be effectively vaporized without arterial wall damage; (3) the incision produced by excimer laser has microscopically precise edges: there is no evidence of thermal injury and adjacent tissue is unaffected. Our conclusion is that excimer laser can be used safely and effectively in angioplasty. It may be mainly by photochemical effect that excimer laser ablates organic tissue.

Criteria for classifying normal and degenerated lumbar intervertebral disks

The purpose of this study was to develop criteria for distinguishing normal and degenerated lumbar intervertebral disks. Cryomicrotome sections from and magnetic resonance images of 31 cadavers were reviewed. The immature nucleus pulposus, found up to age 2 years; the transitional nucleus pulposus, found in teenagers; and the adult nucleus pulposus were associated with an intact anulus fibrosus without tears except for small concentric or transverse tears in the periphery of the anulus fibrosus. Discoloration of the nucleus pulposus, diminishing disk height, and diminishing signal intensity were associated consistently with a radial tear of the anulus fibrosus. The severely degenerated nucleus pulposus was associated also with a radial tear or complete disruption of the anulus fibrosus. The results suggest that intervertebral disk normally progresses from the immature to the transitional to the adult nucleus pulposus. When a radial tear develops in the anulus there is shrinkage and disorganization of fibrocartilage in the nucleus pulposus and replacement of the disk by dense fibrous tissue and cystic spaces.

The effect of patient positioning on MR imaging of the internal auditory canal

Identification of individual cranial nerves and complete exclusion of tumor in the internal auditory canal may be difficult with MR, especially in imperfectly positioned patients. MR studies of the temporal bones in patients and in normal volunteers positioned non-rotated or canted were correlated with corresponding cryomicrotomic sections. Especially in axial images, oblique sectioning of cranial nerves VII and VIII may cause difficulty in identifying individual nerves. A combination of axial and coronal short TR and TE images can be used to confidently exclude intracanalicular tumor in most cases.

Simultaneous ion-pair and partition liquid chromatography of acetaminophen, theophylline and salicylate with application to 500 toxicologic specimens

Acetaminophen (A), salicylate (S), and theophylline (T) are three common pharmaceutical agents involved in drug overdose for which determinations of serum drug concentrations play a pivotal role in clinical management. All three must be included in overdose screening, but often separate methods must be used. By combining reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for A and T with ion-pair techniques for S, all three drugs can be chromatographed and quantitated simultaneously. A water-soluble ion-pair of S and 2-amino-2-(hydroxy-methyl)-1,3-propanediol eluted in a mobile phase of 4% acetonitrile and 12% acetic acid in water. Relative retention times for A, T and S were 0.41, 0.57 and 1.75 with an internal standard of 8-chlorotheophylline. Validation studies demonstrated recoveries of 88-104%, intraasay precisions of 2.1-6.6%, interassay precision of 3.8-8.0%, detection limits and linearity ranges of 2-200 mg/l for A and T and 10-1,000 for S. Seventy-two drugs were tested for interference. Accuracy studies showed no significant biases when compared to other methods. The method is convenient for toxicologic screening or therapeutic drug monitoring. In 576 consecutive serum specimens submitted for general toxicologic screening, 7.3% were positive for A, 5.2% for S, and 1.7% for T. Only 1.7% had critical concentrations indicating intoxication.

Substituted 2-[(2-benzimidazolylsulfinyl)methyl]anilines as potential inhibitors of H+/K+ ATPase

A series of substituted 2-[(2-benzimidazolylsulfinyl)methyl]anilines were synthesized as potential inhibitors of the acid secretory enzyme H+/K+ ATPase. Substitutions on the aniline nitrogen atom resulted in potent enzyme inhibition in vitro but weak activity in gastric fistula dogs. Electron-donating substituents on the aniline ring enhanced in vitro and in vivo potency relative to the unsubstituted analogue. The potency showed a correlation to the calculated pKa of the aniline nitrogen atom. Substitutions on the aniline and benzimidazole rings did not further enhance potency. Di- and trisubstituted aniline derivatives were potent inhibitors of the enzyme system. The preferred combination of substituents were a methoxy group on the benzimidazole ring and a single alkyl group on the aniline ring. One such compound, 76, was an effective inhibitor of acid secretion in the dog and was selected for further pharmacological study.

Response of spinach and kidney bean plants to nitrogen dioxide

Different responses of spinach and kidney bean plants to various concentrations of NO(2) in the light and in the dark were shown. Spinach is more resistant than NO(2) than kidney bean. It is not only due to its greater tolerance to NO(2)(-) accumulated in leaves, but also to its stronger ability to metabolize NO(2)(-). The injury of spinach induced by the exposure to high concentration NO(2) in the light was not caused by the accumulation of NO(2)(-), but concerned the large amount of accumulated NH(3). The primary causes of NH(3) accumulation were that the activity of nitrite reductase was not affected by the fumigation on the one hand, and the activities of glutamine synthetase and glutamate synthase were inhibited on the other.

Reversal of ischemic liver failure by intrasplenic liver cell transplantation

A model of ischemic hepatic failure in Sprague-Dawley rats (SD) with 100% mortality has been developed by one-hour occlusion of the right portal vein and hepatic artery followed by left 70% hepatectomy. The intrasplenic injection of 40 x 10(6) syngeneic adult or three-day neonatal single liver cell suspensions decreased the mortality from 100% to 50% and 36%, respectively. Mortality decreased with increasing time from the intrasplenic injection of neonatal liver cells to the time of acute hepatic ischemia. Mortality also decreased with increasing interval between hepatic ischemia and removal of the transplanted liver cells by splenectomy. Intrasplenic injection of graded doses of neonatal liver cells decreased mortality from 75% at a dose of 10 x 10(6) cells, to 36% at 160 x 10(6) cells. Treatment of neonatal liver cells with metabolic inhibitors did not significantly affect their ability to reverse acute hepatic ischemia.

Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of the orbital apex

This article describes the CT and MR appearance of the orbital apex and masses in this region. The sectional anatomy by axial, coronal, and sagittal planes as well as the thin-layer technique used to accomplish this is detailed first. Then the application of these techniques to the presence of tumors is illustrated and discussed.

Endogenous forms of fibrinogen in Hep G2 cells

The three polypeptide chains of fibrinogen, A alpha, B beta and gamma chain, are synthesized on separate polysomes. Fully formed fibrinogen is a six chain, disulfide-linked, dimeric molecule with a molecular weight of 340kDa. Previous pulse-chase studies with L-35 S methionine using the human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line, Hep-G2, showed that the three chains are not immediately disulfide-linked and that there exist intermediate precursors as well as pools of A alpha and gamma chains (J. Biol. Chem. 259, 10574-10581, 1984). In this study the endogenous levels of fibrinogen and its precursors are measured by two different methods; pulse and steady-state labelling with L-35 S-methionine and immunoblotting. In Hep-G2 cells intracellular fibrinogen-related antigen is primarily (30-53%) composed of an A alpha-gamma complex and, to a smaller degree, of fully-formed fibrinogen (13-33%). Furthermore, the Hep G2 cell also contains endogenous pools of free gamma chain (11-26%). Other fibrinogen precursors (namely, the B beta-A alpha, B beta-gamma complexes as well as the fibrinogen half-molecule) do not appear to accumulate intracellularly. Most, if not all, of these precursors occur as isoforms but this heterogeneity is not due to varying degrees of glycosylation. In all the intracellular fibrinogen forms identified thus far, free sulfhydryl groups, detected by 14C-iodoacetamide incorporation, occur only in the A alpha-gamma complex and the free gamma chains.

Influence of passive smoking on admissions for respiratory illness in early childhood

An association was sought between passive smoking and inpatient admissions for respiratory illness in 1058 children born between 1 June and 31 December 1981 and living in the neighborhoods of Nan-Jing Western Road and Yan-An Western Road in Jing-An District, Shanghai. The admission rate for first episodes of respiratory illness was positively correlated with the total daily cigarette consumption of family members during the children's first 18 months of life. The relative risk of developing a first episode of respiratory illness was 1.80 for children living in families including people who smoked 10 or more cigarettes a day compared with those living in non-smoking families. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the effect of passive smoking on inpatient admission for respiratory illness was independent of the child's birth weight, type of feeding, father's education, size of the home, and chronic respiratory disease among adults in the family. The adjusted odds ratios compared with the non-smoking group were 1.17 in families smoking 1.9 cigarettes daily and 1.89 in families smoking 10 or more cigarettes daily. These data suggest that exposure to household cigarette smoke of children in early life increases the risk of severe respiratory illness.

Inhibitory effect in vitro of PR toxin, a mycotoxin from Penicillium roqueforti, on the mitochondrial HCO-3-ATPase of the rat brain, heart and kidney

The effects of PR toxin, a mycotoxin from Penicillium roqueforti, on the mitochondrial HCO3- -ATPase activity of the brain, heart and kidney from male Sprague-Dawley rats were determined by measuring colorimetrically the inorganic phosphate liberated by the ATPase in the presence or absence of bicarbonate ion. The IC50 (the concentration at which 50% of the enzyme activity is inhibited) of PR toxin on the mitochondrial HCO3- -ATPase from brain, heart and kidney were 12.7, 9.2 and 14.8 microM, respectively. The Michaelis-Menten constants (Km) of the enzyme from brain (1.1 mM), heart (1.5 mM) and kidney (2.3 mM) were not changed by PR toxin. Neither neutral nor anionic detergent increased the inhibitory potency of the toxin. It was concluded that of the three tissues tested, HCO3- -ATPase of the heart mitochondria was most sensitive to PR toxin, and that the toxin inhibited the HCO3- -ATPase in a non-competitive and irreversible manner.

Maternal diazepam exposure on brain ornithine decarboxylase and growth of offspring

The prenatal treatment of diazepam on the developmental pattern of brain ornithine decarboxylase and the general growth of offspring were studied. Diazepam (120 mg/kg/day) was administered orally to pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats from day 14 to day 20 of gestation. The activity of brain ornithine decarboxylase and body weight of the offspring were measured from the late fetal stage to the early postnatal stage. It was found that diazepam inhibited both the prenatal and 4-hour postnatal ornithine decarboxylase activities, though the general maturation pattern of the enzyme in the brain was not much altered. It may indicate that diazepam inhibits early brain development. The enzyme activity fell off as it reached maturation. Prenatal treated neonates of 6-hour or older age group had the normal activities of brain ornithine decarboxylase. The general growth of the treated offspring was substantially retarded. Their body weights were very much lower than the control offspring. The results of the present study is an additional evidence that diazepam and other benzodiazepines should be used with great care in pregnant women.